Origin
Rockford, IL
Afternoon in Rockford on Saturday
Local time
2:49 PM
CDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockford, IL to Prairie Grove, IL
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
46.4 mi
75 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockford, IL
Wikimedia Commons
Prairie Grove, IL
Andrew Patrick Photo
Trip Overview
The drive from Rockford, IL to Prairie Grove, IL covers 46.4 miles and takes about 1h 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on South Alpine Road, Charles Street, South Mall Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.25 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Alpine Road | — | — |
| Charles Street | — | — |
| South Mall Drive | — | — |
| Harrison Avenue | — | — |
| U | — | — |
| West Grant Highway | — | — |
| South State Street | — | — |
| Telegraph Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
South Alpine Road
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockford, IL and Prairie Grove, IL.
1
Start on West State Street
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
West State Street
2
Turn right onto South Alpine Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
South Alpine Road
3
Continue on South Alpine Road
358 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Alpine Road
4
Turn right
85 ft
·
4 sec
5
Turn right onto Charles Street
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Charles Street
6
Turn right onto South Mall Drive
387 ft
·
19 sec
·
South Mall Drive
7
Turn left onto Harrison Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Harrison Avenue
8
Continue on U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
13 mi
·
20 min
·
U.S. Grant Memorial Highway
9
Continue on West Grant Highway
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
West Grant Highway
10
Turn left onto South State Street
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
South State Street
11
Turn right onto Telegraph Street
9.0 mi
·
13 min
·
Telegraph Street
12
Turn right
0.8 mi
·
1 min
13
Turn left
8.1 mi
·
14 min
14
Turn left onto Barreville Road
1.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Barreville Road
15
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.2 miles from Rockford, IL, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.25 one way
$14.51 round trip
$3.97/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.36 | $7.96 | $15.93 |
| premium | $4.89 | $8.93 | $17.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.24 | $20.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.23 |
| Efficient EV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.06 | $1.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.6 | 0 | $6.50 | $2.97 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Prairie Grove, IL
Afternoon in Prairie Grove on Saturday
Local time
2:49 PM
CDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
19 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 17m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
46.4 mi in 1h 17m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Main road: South Alpine Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Rockford, IL to Prairie Grove, IL is easy. At 1h 17m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Rockford, IL to Prairie Grove, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
About the Cities
Arriving in Prairie Grove, IL
Full guide →City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 46.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Rockford, IL to Prairie Grove, IL is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Prairie Grove, IL before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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